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Australia · May

What’s in season in Australia in May

In May in Australia, the fruit at its best includes avocado, apple, lemon, passionfruit and kiwifruit, and the vegetables include broccoli, broccolini, brussels sprouts, cabbage, red cabbage, carrot and cauliflower. Near the end of their season: quince, figs, grapes, cucumber and oregano. This is the cooler south; the tropical north has its own calendar.

Last reviewed 9 October 2026 · 31 items at their peak

Citrus starts to take over, with mandarins first and navel oranges and grapefruit close behind. Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, leeks and brussels sprouts arrive as the weather cools, and parsnips, swedes and turnips come into their own. Hass avocados are plentiful and kiwifruit is in the shops. Apples and pears are still good.

Vegetables 25 at their best or changing

  • Bok choyAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to May and October to November.

  • BroccoliAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to August.

  • BroccoliniAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from March to October.

  • Brussels sproutsAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to July.

  • Butternut pumpkinAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to July.

  • CabbageAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to September.

  • CarrotAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from February to May.

  • CauliflowerAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to August.

  • CeleriacAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to September.

  • FennelAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to August.

  • KaleAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to August.

  • LeekAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to August.

  • ParsnipAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to August.

  • PotatoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from February to May.

  • PumpkinAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from February to June.

  • Red cabbageAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to September.

  • RhubarbAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from March to July.

  • SilverbeetAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to September.

  • SpinachAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to May and September to October.

  • SwedeAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to August.

  • Sweet potatoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from March to June.

  • TurnipAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to August.

  • CucumberLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was December to February.

  • SweetcornLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was December to February.

  • ZucchiniLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was December to February.

Also around, not at their best acorn squash, baby spinach, beetroot, capsicum, celery, garlic, ginger, lettuce, mushrooms, onion, radish, rocket, shallot, tomato

Fruit 13 at their best or changing

  • AppleAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to May.

  • AvocadoAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to December. Hass avocados run from May to January; Queensland Shepard fills the gap.

  • Custard appleAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to July.

  • KiwifruitAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to July.

  • LemonAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from May to September.

  • Nashi pearAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to July.

  • PassionfruitAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from January and May to August. Grown in Queensland through winter and summer.

  • PersimmonAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to May.

  • PomegranateAt its peak

    At its peak. Best from April to May.

  • FigsLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was February to April.

  • GrapesLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was February to April.

  • QuinceLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was April to May.

  • RaspberryLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was January to February.

Also around, not at their best banana, grapefruit, lime, mandarin, orange, papaya, pear, pineapple, strawberry

Herbs 1 at their best or changing

  • OreganoLast of the season

    The last weeks. Best was December to February.

Also around, not at their best basil, chilli, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme

This guide follows the cooler south, which is where most Australians shop: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart. The tropical north runs on a different calendar. Queensland and Northern Territory mangoes, for example, start in September, and bananas, pineapples and chillies come from the north all year.

How we decide. Each item carries a score from 0 to 20 for every month of the year. We call 16 or more “at its peak” and 8 to 15 “around”. The scores were checked against Australian growers’ bodies, state government pages and the Sydney and Melbourne markets, and last reviewed on 9 October 2026. Seasons shift a few weeks with the weather and the state, so treat the edges as guides. Spotted something wrong? Tell us at [email protected].
General information only. These guides are not advice about how you should prepare, store or eat any food. Please follow the packaging and the official food-safety guidance from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and your state or territory food authority.